Eric Linnaeus | Book 3 | Chapter 31 - I Won’t Lose to the Likes of Savages (Patreon)

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𝕀 𝕎𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕃𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕤ɴᴀᴛʜᴀɴɪᴇʟ ᴋʟᴇɪɴ: ᴊᴜɴᴇ, 𝟸𝟶𝟶𝟶.

─── .✦········· ───

“You must be joking,” Markos uttered spitefully as he entered the war chambers. The meeting had been called in the final hour, and he was the last to arrive as he had been at the furthest tower.

“He knows how to fight, and he is under my order,” I told him with a stern look.

“Is this what you called the meeting for? You understand we are on the brink of war. There is no time for this-”

“Be silent. Eric is fighting with us, and that is the end of it.”

Markos’s eyes moved past me to glare at Eric, and my vanir looked away as Markos refocused on me. “If he makes one move to betray us again, I will personally tear his organs out and use them as decoration. Nothing will stop me.”

“That’s a bit dramatic for you, isn’t it, Markos?” Achaicus mused. My brother was the only one not entirely thrown off by my decision.

“He threatened my wife and child, repeatedly.”

“That’s enough,” Tougo spoke with authority. “If he has agreed to help, then so be it. Now, child, tell me; will cutting the limbs off your kin work?”

Eric looked somewhat off put but answered evenly, “The limbs worth removing house large blood vessels. So you’d just be revenanting them unless you also wanted to play doctor and prevent blood loss while you’re at it.”

“S-so it would be best to -to restrain them instead?” Hanta spoke up softly.

“Yes.”

“Would binding spells work?”

“Sealing curses would be more effective; they have their own magic, and spell writing is something they take pride in.”

“I hate to say it, but I only know how to write like, three spells,” Charles interjected.

“I can teach you a quick binding seal,” Yura assured, placing a hand on his arm.

“You should also be aware that some of my family have a charm about them that will test your self-control. But the bigger problem will be the boars.”

“Boars?” I asked, curious.

“Yes, they like to fight with boars. Lots of them.”

“Do they revenant as well?”

“No, or at least most don’t. But the ones with riders will be enchanted to do so.”

“And what about you, Orphan? Do you plan to revenant?” Markos asked coldly, and Eric looked to me, unsure.

“Do you want me to revenant?”

Truthfully, I didn’t know. Eric would have to die in order to do that, and I wasn’t sure that was something I wanted to risk. Fortunately, I wasn’t permitted the time to answer as a ripple of strong energy pulsed through the air.

“What was that?” Charles asked, voicing the alarm we all felt.

“It’s alright, that was me,” Eric assured quickly, “I set a barrier in the forest; one of my family must have just reached it.”

“When did you do that?” I asked, confused.

“You didn’t think I just waited around in your room all day, did you?”

“…That’s why you were sneaking into the forest,” Markos spoke slower as he understood, almost as if he were reassessing.

“How long will it last?” I asked.

“I don’t know…”

“Then we should move now. Protect each other,” I ordered firmly. We had never fought alongside ghouls before, and most of Tougo’s family had arrived to help. All in all, our force was not as large as Leúchtend, but we were ready.

Charles, Markos, and a handful of the ghouls would handle the borders of the castle itself. Allowing us the option to retreat if necessary, and providing cover from above, while the rest of us would defend on the plains between the fence and castle. Achaicus and I would be on the front lines with the soldiers and Eric would remain near us.

─── .✦········· ───

Outside the walls, rows of guards stood ready. Thunder rumbled overhead as the skies gave way to rain. Fat drops landed heavily in the dry dirt, and in moments the downpour began.

“Nathaniel,” Eric took hold of my arm as I moved with my brother to get the horses.

“What?”

It was one of the few times I had ever seen him look anxious, “I need my sword now.”

“Of course,” I assured, taking it from my back to give to him. “Is that all?”

“No… I have a bad feeling.”

“Nervous?” I mused, and he scowled.

“I don’t think your brother should be out here.”

“Why? He’s just as capable as I.”

“He’s a distraction to you, and he can help with Markos.”

“Why are you so concerned over Achaicus all of the sudden?”

“Because he looks like you. So they’ll target him, I can’t protect you both, and if he falls, I think you’ll give up.”

“That’s an oddly specific concern to have, Eric.”

“You’ve trusted me this far, please… send him back where it’s safer.”

I evaluated Eric. Perhaps he wanted to separate us so that I would be weaker. But it didn’t seem that way. His hand rested on my arm, and he fidgeted anxiously as he waited for my response. He was afraid, and I’ll admit I was just as worried about Achaicus.

“Very well,” I agreed, and when my brother returned with our horses I ordered him to return to the castle.

“Have you gone mad? I will fight beside you and nowhere else,” he protested.

“No, one of us needs to remain in the castle to protect it.”

“Markos can handle the castle.”

“He is not us; it has to be you. Besides, who could give me better cover than you?”

My brother glared at me for a long time, searching my eyes for dishonesty. “Go,” I repeated, tugging on his hair, “And tie your hair.”

Still he hesitated, then spoke to Eric, “If you allow him to get hurt, there will be nowhere for you to hide.”

“I’ll protect him,” Eric assured, and I snorted.

“I don’t need it.”

As I spoke a secondary pulse vibrated through the air, and Eric tensed, “They broke the curse sigils.”

“Go, Achaicus,” I ordered more firmly, and as he left, I mounted my horse. It had been quite some years since I had ridden, but it’s not something that’s easily forgotten.

With my brother away, I rode out to the front of the line with Eric beside me. His horse was an entirely blackened mare as she was the only steed that withstood him, all others were inexplicably unnerved by him; although, she was also the one most likely to kick.

Our enemies emerged through the trees one by one, like shadows through the rain. Eric turned his horse around, delaying, as I gave the order for archers to fire. It was as if he was looking for something, Fae energy flared up the length of his arm, and he focused on the tree line.

The Vanir approached without any urgency; there were more of them, although still not many. Three I recognized while the rest I didn’t, the elder man was not among them, and that made me nervous. If he wasn’t here, where was he?

I quickly realized that when Eric had said there would be boars, I had no understanding. The creatures were giant, as large as our horses if not slightly bigger and they had teeth like a carnivore. Their fur was brown to golden agouti, and they had manes similar to lions.

They invoked a primal fear, and my energy flared. Each of the Vanir rode one of the giant beasts, and all had blackened markings activated, although there were also plenty of animals without riders.

The first wave of arrows took down some of the creatures, but that only served to enrage the others. They broke into a full charge, churning the damp ground into mud beneath their thousands of hooves, and I waited steadily.

“Release!” I shouted the order in German, and a second wave of arrows flew.

They were so close now. The ground vibrated, and my heart raced as they accelerated. Eric looked back to me, and my horse turned around anxiously, “𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑛,” I ordered the animal. There were a few hundred more yards left before impact, and we needed to stand firm.

“Nathaniel,” Eric warned, he wanted to move as well.

“Trust me,” I assured, this wasn’t my first battle, and I had no intention of losing.

As the first of the boars crossed the final barrier, they triggered what I had been waiting for. A soft depressurization pushed the rain out in a neat wave through the air, and the ground beneath the creatures gave way into a deep pit of iron spines.

Tens of them tumbled into the trap. Most were too frenzied to notice those before them fall, but gradually the horde split in two to avoid the cavity, and I gave the signal. On my word, mounted forces moved left and right to meet the divided army.

Alvíss had a good start; his faction was well-trained and prepared. They collided with the boars and cut through them better than I had hoped. Similarly, Tougo’s Ghouls were formidable. I had never seen Ghouls fight, but they halted their enemies effectively, and it was time for us to move.

“Archers, back to the walls! Soldiers, forward shields! Eric, will you resonate with me?”

It wasn’t something he had agreed to since before he knew of the slaughterhouse. But after a brief delay, my vanir nodded, and the contract marks on his throat began to glow as our auras linked. His energy flared bright, extending past his shoulder and across his back as it burst from the shoulder blade. Now, he wouldn’t run out, not as long as I lived.

That should have been a clue from the beginning, I supposed, the way his body could handle as much magic as I had given it. I had assumed Eric was just tougher than most, and he had always been especially compatible with my aura. It’s why my magic didn’t burn him up when I bestowed his gifts, and this was how Markos had intended to win the war against my father.

Although I’m certain Eric would never have agreed at the time, for a resonance to work, the one with the contract has to agree. Inanimate objects are preferable because they don’t need a contract and can’t refuse.

The first of the enemy riders closed in, and Eric reacted in a fraction of a second. He turned his horse away sharply, causing her to rear up as he dismounted. He rolled when he landed, sliding under the oncoming boar, and slicing through its underside in a smooth motion. The beast crumpled, throwing its rider as it crashed into the muddy earth with a wet swash.

I waited until Eric emerged from the other side of the collision before returning my attention to my soldiers. He could handle his own battle, but they would need my help. The vanir girl, Karyna, rushed a platoon by herself, and I sent a blast of energy to push her back. However, in doing so, I was distracted and failed to notice another advancing on me.

The jaws of a boar clamped shut over my horse’s neck, catching me by surprise, and we both went down. Dark magic swallowed the area, and I pushed my energy out to clear it enough to see the prongs of a trident slice through the air.

It cut my face, and I grit my teeth as I narrowly avoided the attack. Metal scraped against steel as I used my sword to divert his weapon, and I turned to drive my blade through the heart of his mount. It stumbled, and he stood on its back as it went down, using the extra momentum to launch himself at me. In response, he was met with a shield, and the force propelled us both back.

His markings were different from the girl, and his combat method was more refined. He was quick with that trident of his, and it made him more difficult to deal with. The vanir rushed me again, spinning the weapon in his hand, and I twisted back past him as I deflected it.

I ducked under his reach before returning the favor with a counterattack in the same motion. The edge of my blade sliced the tips of his hair as he moved back, and I advanced a second time. He retreated this time, creating distance between us, he raised the trident into the air. Static sparked, and a bolt of lightning struck it.

He redirected the electricity toward me, and it hit like a broken power line, discharging in a single explosive force that sent a scattering of static in all directions. The simultaneous thundercrack was so deafening it was disorienting, while the energy violently intertwined with my magic.

It threatened to unbalance the charge of my energy, and I pushed it outward to avoid electrocution.

“Huh,” the man commented bemused, “—Oh.”

His tone changed as I recovered. It would take more than that to stop me. I held my hand out toward him, and fresh energy accumulated in my palm. It ignited with a flickering pulse and burst toward him with volatile potency, instantly condensing the rain to steam as it traveled through the air. It didn’t land a direct hit, but it was enough to push him to the ground, and I wasted no time.

Ordinarily, I would have aimed for the heart. But given what he was, I struck through his shoulder, and he swore in his native language before telling me, “You missed, idiot.”

“I don’t think I did.”

He smirked, “We’ll see.”

His eyes were remarkably similar to Eric’s, but more green-blue than deep ocean. Gradually his hair began to stand on end, and I realized what was happening with less than a fraction of a second to spare.

I moved aside, tossing my sword away as another bolt of lightning struck. It traveled down the trident and split off in the direction of my sword. But I was still too close, and the thunder blast split the air. I was lucky the first time—the second time less so. I stumbled and the smell of burning flesh permeated the air.

The vanir was still a long moment before his energy re-ignited, and he sat up. He laughed as he said something to me, not that I could hear it—my ears were still ringing.

“Really fucked up there, didn’t you?” I read his lips as he retrieved my sword.

Begrudgingly I forced myself to get up. I wasn’t sure how much further I could push my magic because I would start to cough, and today wasn’t the day for that. The vanir twirled the sword, and I stepped back as he lunged. He wasn’t especially skilled with it, and I moved past him, knocking the weapon from his hand as I thwarted the attack.

He looked momentarily surprised, but as I built up a blast of energy he smiled, and I understood almost too late. I had seen him use this exact technique on Killian, he was going to use my own energy to activate the curse he’d been drawing in the mud without me even noticing, and I redirected my energy away.

“Not as dumb as the last one,” he commented, “But I don’t need Fae magic; this time, I have my own.”

He activated the enchantment with his magic, and my sword flew back at me. Thanks to its resonance with me, it sliced through my energy shield like a knife through butter, and I braced for impact. There was movement beside me in the same instant as Eric put himself between me and the sword.

It connected with force enough that it ran him through, and his ribs cracked when the hilt hit his chest. His blood sprinkled my face, and I blinked in shock. Eric exhaled a wet breath as blood trickled from his mouth, and we both coughed. I had felt the impact through the resonance, and now I could feel him dying.

“Kári-,” he tried.

“Sorry, Eiríkr, I didn’t even want to be here.”

Eric didn’t respond as he struggled to pull the sword out, “Nath- break the resonance-” he choked, but I was too stunned to respond, “-you’ll feel me die.”

“Eric…” I knew what he was, I knew he could return, but the panic was overwhelming.

Blood poured from the wound, and he dropped to the ground as he began to die. I caught him instinctively, blindly trying to stem the bleeding when I did. Enough people I cared about have died, seeing it was bad enough, feeling it was worse. It was like my own body was shutting down along with his, and it felt like I was suffocating.

“Stop-” he struggled, trying to shove me back.

“Is that going to kill you both?” Kári asked curiously, but I didn’t hear him.

“You can’t- please…” I begged Eric.

“I’ll come back, stop trying to help…”

His life faded too fast, and I didn’t have time to prepare for it. Within moments his efforts to push me away ceased, and he lay lifeless in my arms. He might as well have been human for all I cared. I couldn’t separate myself from the sense of loss and it threatened to overwhelm me.

Energy swirled around me involuntarily, lashing the air as white-hot anger replaced grief. I set my vanir down gently and took up my sword again. An unnatural heat crawled over my skin. It trickled down my spine as if someone had poured ice water down my back, and burned from the inside out in a way Fae magic didn’t.

“I’m going to eviscerate you,” I snarled, focusing my malice on the man responsible for this.

I didn’t notice when the thick black smoke began to emit from Eric. The wound in his chest closed over. Markings similar to those of his kin began to snake over his body from his throat, and he twitched. Eric took a sharp breath in, and as his eyes opened the reversal happened.

Heat scorched through my veins, expanding outward from the sensation down my vertebrae as a power I had never felt flooded my body. The pain took the air from my lungs, and I gasped. Was Eric feeling this as well?

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